ObituariesDebra Yarber ATKINS -- Debra L. Yarber, 65, of Dover passed away Friday, Oct. 14, 2016, at Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center in Russellville. She was born Nov. 2, 1950, in Deer, Ark., daughter of the late Walter and Gladys Farmer Flippo. She was of the Assembly of God Faith. She was preceded in death by her parents; and her husband, J.W. Yarber. She is survived by her companion, Richard Holloway of Dover; four sons, Kenneth Yarber of Dover,...

AGFC officers recognized at law enforcement summitLITTLE ROCK -- Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge recognized eight Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Wildlife Officers during the 14th annual Law Enforcement Summit at Camp Robinson, Oct. 5. Nearly 600 law enforcement officers from across the state attended the event. Col Pat Fitts, chief of the AGFC's Enforcement Division, says the recognition could not have come at a better time, with the current atmosphere regarding law enforcement o...

North Phoenix Trail dedicationTHE COURIER / Travis Simpson A ribbon cutting for the new North Phoenix Trail was held Tuesday. The Recreation and Parks Commission approved the Phoenix Trail addition in October 2014 that now connects West Parkway Drive to the bottom of the Bona Dea trails and sanctuary. The project cost around $6,500. Last May, Arkansas Tech University's Board of Trustees granted a 30-foot easement across ATU property to the city of Russellville for a period...

Arkansas actress Julie Adams revisits the Black LagoonHow much mileage could a studio expect from a 1954 film starring a biologist with a fascination for a secluded fishpond? Quite a bit, when the scientist is beautiful Julie Adams wrapped in a skin-tight white latex bathing suit and the fish turns out to be an angry piscine amphibious humanoid 足aka a Creature from the Black Lagoon. The success of the now cult film continues to astound Adams, who turns 90 on Monday and will celebrate her birthday...

Wastewater treatment plant to be built in OlaOLA — The Ola City Council met Monday to approve moving forward with construction of a new wastewater treatment plant. Councilman Ronald Osterhout said the council passed an ordinance allowing the city to proceed with the new plant at the same location as the existing one on Old Highway 10, east of Ola. The city received a combination of a grant and loan for the facility from Arkansas Rural Development. The grant is for $953,400 and the loan i...

Candidate Q&A: Drew BrentEditor's note: The Courier reached out to the candidates vying for Russellville Alderman, Ward 3 Position 2. The candidates were asked the same questions. Why are you seeking this position? Quite simply, my heart is to serve the city. The reason is I love Russellville. I’ve been in this area since I was 10 and I see what can be. I see what I think Russellville should be. I believe that together we can create and build a better Russellville. It...

Atkins set to seek bids on projectsATKINS -- The Atkins City Council came up with a priority list for the possibility of receiving grant funding during its October meeting Tuesday. Mayor Jerry Don Barrett said a woman recommended by Alderman Bro Price would write grant applications so the city could apply for T-21 grant funding. The priority list included the swimming pool, which Barrett said would cost about $100,000 if it was tiled and painted; sewer repairs; playground equip...

Candidate Q&A: Eric WestcottEditor's note: The Courier reached out to the candidates vying for Russellville Alderman, Ward 3 Position 2. The candidates were asked the same questions. Why are you seeking this position? It is my driving passion to make a tangible difference for good in the lives of other people. It has been my privilege to be able to do that on a larger scale since my appointment to the Russellville City Council last November. I recognize the fact that eve...

Hector SD hosts report to the publicHector school Superintendent Mark Taylor presented the district's state mandated "report to the public" Oct. 10. In this case, "the public" consisted of five school board members, one school principal, one teacher, one school office worker and one newspaper reporter. Taylor presented a positive change in the district's enrollment of 26, from 579 for last year to a present total of 605. He said if the new total hold through the three quarters u...

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BY STEVE LEAVELL
sleavell@cswnet.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Bentonville leads ATBI for 2nd quarterBentonville had the No. 1 economy for second quarter 2016 among the 20 municipalities tracked by the Arkansas Tech Business Index, a project created by the Arkansas Tech University College of Business and sponsored by Arvest Bank. Bentonville completed second quarter 2016 with an ATBI rating of 107.03. It marks the fourth time in the last six quarters that Bentonville has completed a three-month period atop the index. The seat of Benton County...

Sand Lizards sunder SubiacoSUBIACO — The Dardanelle Sand Lizards opened with a 75-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Dakota Rowland and didn't relent from their during Friday's 51-0 victory over the Subiaco Trojans at Raymond Rebsamen Stadium. Dardanelle (5-2, 3-1 4A-4) raced to a 37-0 lead at the end of the first quarter and led 44-0 at halftime. "We came out and returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, and we got a safety," Dardanelle head coach Phil Vega sai...

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BY TRAVIS SIMPSON
simpson@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Nations seek deal to reduce HFCs; could dent global warmingKIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — Nations strove Friday for a deal to phase out hydrofluorocarbons from air conditioners and refrigerators as part of efforts to fight climate change. An agreement could put a half-degree Celsius dent in global warming by the end of the century, according to scientists. At issue are greenhouse gases far more powerful than carbon dioxide. HFCs, as they're known, were introduced in the 1980s as a substitute for ozone-depletin...

Arkansas justices toss liability limits from November ballotLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas' Supreme Court said Thursday that voters won't be able to consider a measure that would limit the amount of money awarded in medical liability cases because the language on the November ballot doesn't fully describe what the proposal would do. Ballots have already been printed, so the court ruled in a pair of orders that no votes be counted on the proposal. Under the plan's provisions, legislators would have b...

FAA: Arkansas event followed rules in airplane turkey dropYELLVILLE — Federal Aviation Administration investigators said a festival in northwestern Arkansas did not break any rules when it tossed live turkeys from an airplane. The annual Turkey Trot festival was held last weekend in Yellville, which is about 90 miles north of Little Rock. One turkey died Friday and another died Saturday upon hitting the ground, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (http://bit.ly/2d9uRtn ) reported. Most of the turkeys dropp...

City plans to raise money for propertyThe Russellville City Council's Finance Committee voted during its meeting Tuesday to take donations to buy property at 917 W. Second St. that will be used to build a Habitat for Humanity (HH) home. Alderman Bill Eaton said he thought the property should be donated to the local organization for free, since there is the possibility that three other lots in the block could house three Habitat for Humanity homes in the future. Mayor Randy Horton ...